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HEALTH SECTOR NEWS Using simulation to optimise patient flow
Simulation software provider, Simul8 has, been awarded funding for a four-month joint project with Cranfield University to use simulation to look at improving patient flow management, resource allocation, and workflow optimisation, to enhance hospital operations at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s Luton and Dunstable University Hospital in Luton. The research team will develop and
test an advanced optimisation tool that uses real-world data collected from the hospital’s waiting rooms by healthcare data specialist DASHmed. By experimenting via simulation, team members hope to identify existing bottlenecks faced by staff in managing patient journeys, and find ways to improve the patient experience through enhanced process efficiency. If successful, the initiative offers the longer-term possibility of implementing a simulation- powered digital twin capable of optimising the management of patient flow in real-time. The project will be funded by the
Innovate UK Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) Scheme, a programme where business partners can collaborate with academic institutions to accelerate innovation in projects designed to make a meaningful impact on society. Director of Services and Strategic
Partnerships at Simul8, Tom Stephenson, said: “There are so many ways simulation is already helping improve healthcare systems, so we are delighted that Innovate UK approved our proposal for this exciting project. We begin by feeding real-world data into simulations to unlock greater efficiencies, and then our simulation-powered digital twins can take the Trust to the next level of advanced healthcare management. The partnership offers a chance to combine our simulation technology capabilities with Cranfield University’s data analytics expertise as we seek ways to improve the patient experience in Bedfordshire hospitals. We aim to leave the Trust with an optimisation tool that can be put into operational everyday use for long-term gains.”
Dr Jim Gray, Clinical director of Orthopaedics, and founder of DASHmed, added: “We believe unlocking the flow metrics and simulating patient flow hold the power to understand constraints, and could create more harmony in the patient journey.” Simul8 regularly partners with NHS
Trusts and Health Boards to develop simulations to improve everything from
Alpha Scientific’s new Manchester water testing laboratory
Water testing specialist, Alpha Scientific, has relocated to a new, UKAS- accredited, microbiological water testing laboratory in Manchester.
Located in Hexagon Tower, a specialist science and technology facility, the company’s microbiologists provide analytical services for microorganisms such as Legionella,
E.coli, total coliforms, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Mo Jassal, head of Laboratory Operations, said: “Our new Manchester lab is a key part of our growth and expansion, which will allow us to provide the highest quality microbiological water testing to further regions across the country. Scalability is an important part of Alpha’s future plans, and the move from our previous location in the city, due to an increase in demand, will also allow us to grow and expand further. To ensure greater convenience and accessibility, we have expanded our logistical portfolio to include an additional six regional drop-off locations, including
planning the layouts of new ward designs to oncology patient scheduling, maternity modelling, lab processes in IVF clinics, and patient pathways in orthopaedics. Cranfield University has a track record
in working with business, academia, governments, and other organisations, to develop and deliver applied research and innovative education in science, technology, engineering, and management. Dr Maryam Farsi, Lecturer and Assistant Professor in Engineering Optimisation at the University, who will supervise the project, said: “We’ll be using advanced simulation techniques to learn and predict activities and ‘what if’ scenarios – to help us uncover improved ways to manage patient flow efficiently through the system.”
Topping out for NRC at Stanford Hall
Warrington, Leeds, and Sheffield. “Alongside our current laboratories in Slough and Sittingbourne,” Mo Jassal continued, “the new lab will provide both new and existing clients with a more comprehensive nationwide water testing service.”
Alpha Scientific has also launched a new website which provides comprehensive information on its analytical services, and includes a quick link to the results portal, where clients can access water test reports, which will also be sent via email. Established in 2012, the business was acquired by ADEY Innovation in 2019.
IHP, a joint venture between VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine, has hosted the formal topping out ceremony for the National Rehabilitation Centre at the Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate near Loughborough. The £105 m NRC programme is building a 70-bed, ‘state-of-the-art and highly energy efficient’ new facility, run by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, and part of the Government’s New Hospital Programme. Research, innovation, and training, will be led by academic partners, Loughborough University and the University of Nottingham. The NRC is due to open in 2025, and
aims to transform clinical treatment in the East Midlands, and set a new standard for research and innovation, and education and training, in rehabilitation for the whole of the UK.
June 2024 Health Estate Journal 21
Image courtesy of Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
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